A win for Medicare.
Byline: The Register-Guard There's reason to celebrate the bipartisan thumping Congress handed President Bush with its lopsided override of an ill-advised veto. By preventing an unfair 10.6 percent cut in Medicare physician reimbursements from taking effect, Congress protected many Medicare beneficiaries from losing access to doctors who...

How to revive payments.
Byline: The Register-Guard The U.S. House blinked Wednesday, all but extinguishing the flickering hopes for a renewal of federal payments to timber-dependent counties. A $3.8 billion, multiyear extension of the payments was included in a Senate-approved tax bill, but the House, fearing a White House veto, stripped...

Congress acts to expand parity, reverse pay cuts.
Congress moved a step closer to mental health parity under Medicare last month when it overrode a presidential veto of legislation that decreased cost sharing for mental health care and codified coverage of psychiatric medications. The mental health provisions were part of a larger bill that also...

Billions and billions; Governor's cuts barely nicked state spending.
COLUMN: In our opinion In a ceremony that sent mixed messages about state budgetary policy, Gov. Deval L. Patrick has signed a record-breaking $28.1 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that began two weeks ago. His veto of $122.5 million in spending - mostly...

APHA hails passage of federal farm bill.
In June, APHA applauded the long-awaited reauthorization of the federal farm bill--a major legislative priority for the Association. Passed via a congressional override of President Bush's veto, the farm bill included important funding increases for nutrition programs, international food assistance and conservation programs. While funding figures did...

Medicare pay to doctors to increase 0.5% this year: Congress supported a 1.1% raise in 2009.
Washington's summertime wrangling paid off for physicians as Congress successfully overrode President Bush's veto of legislation to stop a 10.6% cut to Medicare physician payments. The legislation (H.R. 6331), which originally passed both the House and Senate by veto-proof margins in early July, extends the 0.5% Medicare...

Congress passes pay increase, Medicare reform.
Nine days after a 10.6% cut to Medicare physician payments went into effect, the Senate acted in dramatic fashion to replace the cut with a modest pay increase for the next 18 months. The legislation (H.R. 6331), which passed both the House and Senate by veto-proof margins,...

Keep bailing; Housing bill adds to murky market.
COLUMN: IN OUR OPINION Now that President Bush has dropped his veto threat against the housing bill, U.S. taxpayers soon will be on the hook for untold billions to clean up after mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The measure provides political cover for...

2008 spring session roundup: a summary of key legislation passed this spring by the Illinois General Assembly.
The Illinois General Assembly has sent the following bills to Governor Blagojevich. This report, which summarizes key legislation, is organized alphabetically by topic so you can quickly learn what has happened in your practice areas. Please note that the Governor must sign, veto, or amendatorily veto a...

Congress passes doctor pay increase, Medicare reform.
Washington's summertime wrangling paid off for physicians as Congress successfully overrode President Bush's veto of legislation to stop a 10.6% cut to Medicare physician payments. The legislation (H.R. 6331), which passed the House and Senate by veto-proof margins in July, extends the 0.5% Medicare pay increase in...